icant role, but connectors without the
proper spacing for your application may
play havoc with data transmission when
you get unexpected levels of interference.
Combinations of data, signal, and power
need to be tested, as no two applications
are exactly the same.

• Check for available keying and color-cod-ing variations, so that your users can
quickly and easily determine where to
connect a specific cable.

Review for overall ruggedness

• Make sure you get enough mating
cycles out of the connectors. If you need
5,000 mating cycles, make sure that the
connector solution can handle the mating
and unmating. Go through the exercise
of how many mating cycles per day are
expected and the probable life of the
product to come up with a target for your
minimum required mating cycles.

• Check to make sure that your connector
can be sealed to your satisfaction. Not
every IP68 solution is created equally.
You can achieve IP68 with a test of one
meter for two hours or 120 meters for 24
hours. There’s a big difference, so take the
time to make sure you understand what’s
behind every provider’s IP68 testing. On
the other hand: don’t pay for sealing levels
that you don’t need.

• When sterilization is an issue, be sure you
understand which sterilization method
will be used. Different methods need
connectors with different materials, which
will impact whether they can handle
multiple sterilization types.

Cable configurations

• Be sure your supplier knows which cables
work best for your specific application.
Not every cable with multiple twisted
pairs is the same. If you are looking for a
specific data speed, be sure that is in your
specification.

• With today’s smaller connectors, make
sure that the cable and connector actually
fit together. We often have people asking
for cables that are too big for the connectors, and end up recommending an
alternative from stock that we know will
work.

Working with hybrid connectors doesn’t
end with traditional copper connectors.

Many companies offer fiber-copper hybrid
connectors and cables for when you need to
move a lot of data a long way, and still need
power.

So, what is the payoff? Our customershave been able to make substantial changesto designs by making hybrid connectors partof their solution. Replacing two connectorswith one lowers the total cost of ownershipby reducing the number of componentspurchased and inventoried. It simplifiesdesign, and makes the users more efficient,and maybe – just maybe – makes everyone alittle happier. MDT